West of the Gate
Set a little apart to the west of the Romon, this corridor runs on an east-west ridge and links the great gate into the line of the south front. It was built in 1926 alongside the gate and its counterpart to the east.
The form is three bays across the front and one bay deep, gabled and roofed in formal hongawara tile, a heavier and more formal finish than the copper used on the shrine halls.
What Distinguishes the West Corridor
Lattice windows, renjimado, are set on the front and back, and plank doors close both gable ends. In the intercolumnar spaces, bracket struts carry boat-shaped brackets.
The feature that sets the west corridor apart from its eastern twin is the handling of the ends and the roofline. The corner pillars are carried up higher, and both the double-eaved roof and the gable verges are given a strong upward curve. The building borrows design and technique from the medieval period and earlier, which is unusual for a structure of the 1920s and gives it a deliberately archaic grace.
Registration
The west corridor was registered in March 2018 under the criterion of serving as a model of design. It is best appreciated as one of a matched pair with the east corridor: the two share a plan and materials but differ in their end treatment, and comparing them is one of the quieter pleasures of the south front.
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Q&A
- Where is this corridor?
- It runs to the west of the Romon, on an east-west ridge, linking the gate into the south front. Its twin stands to the east.
- How does it differ from the east corridor?
- The west corridor carries its corner pillars up higher and gives the eaves and gable verges a strong upward curve. The east corridor differs in its gable ornament.
- What is the roof made of?
- Formal hongawara tile, a heavier finish than the copper sheet used on the shrine halls.
- When was it built?
- In 1926, at the same time as the Romon and the east corridor.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Romon West Corridor |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiya-cho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registered 27 March 2018 |
| Registration No. | 26-555 |
| Date | Taisho 15 (1926) |
| Count / Structure | 1 building; timber, single-story, formal tile roof, floor area approx. 44 m2 |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Access | Kyoto City Bus to 'Imamiya-jinja-mae'; or 'Funaokayama' stop, approx. 7 min on foot |
| Public access | Precinct open and free |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 今宮神社楼門西廻廊
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012207
- 紫野 今宮神社 公式サイト — 境内
- http://www.imamiyajinja.org/guide/
- 京都十六社朱印めぐり — 今宮神社
- https://kyoto-16sha.jp/imamiyajinja/
Last verified: 2026.07.02